State liquor stores to require masks

No mask, no booze.

Effective yesterday, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority is refusing to allow customers to enter stores without wearing a face mask.

In a Friday press release, ABC noted that it previously required wearing of a mask but had not denied service.

Stores will “make every attempt to provide a mask to customers who arrive without one,” the release noted.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, face coverings help decrease the spread of COVID-19, and because the virus can be spread by people who don’t have symptoms and don’t know they are infected, it’s critically important for everyone to practice social distancing and wear a face covering in public,” it stated.

“Evolving guidance from health officials stresses the importance of face masks as a way of protecting the health and well-being of the communities that we serve,” said Chief Executive Officer Travis Hill. “The vast majority of our customers have followed our direction these last few weeks and consistently wear face masks in our stores; however our no mask, no entry policy is to ensure as safe a shopping experience as feasible. We know that it may not be possible for everyone to wear a face covering. In those cases, we suggest curbside pickup as an alternative to in-store shopping.”

ABC offers curbside pickup for online orders at 370 stores. After placing an online order at www.abc.virginia.gov, customers can opt for contactless pickup of spirits, Virginia wines and mixers the same day the order is placed, as long as the selected products are available in the store.

Statewide, ABC stores continue to operate on a modified schedule. Last month, stores returned to their normal, pre-pandemic closing times, but all stores maintain a noon opening time, seven days a week.

Customers can check their local store’s adjusted hours by visiting ABC’s store finder page, www.abc.virginia.gov/stores.